Messages - midjeep

I did a federal intership my 1L year and I am glad I did it. It provides you with a different perspective on the law and you will have the opportunity to compare the clerkship to a firm job. If you only work in firms every summer, you will have no basis of comparision and end up hating the law because you will assume all jobs are mind-numbing and frustrating.

During my 1L year, my goal was to go straight to a big law firm and see how it goes. Now I think I will go for a federal clerkship for a year after graduation and then see where I want to go.

Ok if you are going to school at a T2 in the Chicago or NYC area.... What class rank would you need to safely assume you could land a biglaw job (assuming you are not a tool, etc and can interview) which pays 125k+?

Check career services at your school...they should have some kind of graph or break-down on the actual number of students that got jobs at biglaw firms. Then assume those all of those people were in the top of the class to determine what percentage of that class worked at a biglaw firm. Far from a perfect representation, but it's a good starting point.

Honestly I doubt a book will help you write-on a journal. I would suggest getting a handle on how the BlueBook works - where the rules are, how the rule actually works, and being comfortable with using "citing by analogy" for citations that aren't listed in the BlueBook. As far as the writing is concerned, look back at your Memos that you wrote for legal writing or if you had an internship. More likely than not, you will have a fact-pattern and will be required to write a Memo giving your legal analysis on the issues.

Also, find someone that is currently on your journal that you are comfortable with. See if they will tell you what the journal is looking for in the write-on competition (i.e. do they stress BlueBooking skills or actual writing skills). Finally, utilize your legal writing prof - ask him/her what you should work on from your Memo.

Other than that, I GUESS you could look at "Plain English for Lawyers" by Richard Wydick if you would feel better about doing something else in the mean time. But I am a firm believer in practicing if you want to do any prep-work. Good luck!

Well there is no way for us to analyize your concerns and goals regarding YOUR journal. Each school treats its journal differently, the amount of responsibilty and accomplish factor you seek may not be available at your journal - you need to ask the current editors for their take on your concerns.

Now in general, if you want to change the reputation of your school and do something meaningful with the experience, that will be up to you. It sounds like you are already burned out and seeking a last-ditched effort to revitalize the 1L mojo - being an editor might give you a jump start OR it might make your last year an ever-living hell.

Sorry if this is vague, but it is very difficult to tell you what you should do when:1) We don't know the status of your journal (how it is run)2) Whether you have the energy to work as an editor 3) We don't know what are your realistic expectations of an editor are

I agree with everyone else...you don't seem to even want the position, save for the resume bullet. Now if you think you will benefit yourself by using the position as a learning experience or will be applying to some clerkship/academic position in the future, then go for it.

Remember, there might be others on the Journal that aren't as set jobwise and others who would actually WANT the position.

do you honestly think that law firms are going to say "well we were going to give this a kid an interview, but since he folded his coverletter and resume we should just reject him." the only time i ever sent my letter and resume to a law firm in a manilla envelop was when the firm requested a ten page writing sample. other than that, send your stuff regular business style and worry about your grades and initial resume rather than how you send it.

1) I second the recommendation for not restricting your caloric intake to 1800. Your body will go into "starvation mode" which means it will store every calorie into your fat cells, thus making you gain weight.

2) You need to exercise or lift more. Thus your diet needs to reflect that change. Make sure you eat enough protein or else your cardio will destroy the muscles you build up.

3) As for food, pick something healthy and something that YOU like. It is also better to eat 5-6 small meals a day and not to eat anything big before bedtime. Take snacks with you to class like almonds, carrots, apples, whole wheat crackers, meal replacement bars, etc along with a bottle of water. You should also do this in the library or where ever you study. Eventually this eating schedule will turn to habit and it won't be as difficult. (note, when you do bring food to class make sure it doesnt have a strong smell, make a lot of noise when eaten, and too messy for you to type or take notes).

4) Finally, remember to do experiment and pick a lifestyle that works for you. No one here can tell you what is the best diet/exercise program that is best for you. Create your own program and if you fail pick another one and make your adjustments. Yes it is hard to balance your health with your life and law school, but it will only get worse once you start working in a law firm. Remember that this should be a lifestyle change and not just a short-term diet/exercise program. Good luck and happy living!